things you must know about hong kong

dear all, if you plan to come to hong kong for work/travel, there a few things you must know:

1. if you have a hsbc credit card, you must bring it to hk. there are just so many outlets giving discounts specifically for hsbc credit card. don't leave home without it, or is that ad for american express? as a matter of fact, bring a few card. if you like to shop, hong kong is the shopping heaven for you!

2. once you reach hong kong, definitely get the octopus card. there are fantastic deals at the airport express where you get a unlimited mtr rides for 3 days and 2 single journeys for HKD300. check it out here. Any unspent value is refunded along with the HKD50 deposit, minus HKD7 handling fees if you surrender the card in less than 3 months. but overall, all your fares are cheaper than paying cash each time. you can reload/pay in all Circle K, 7-11, MTR stations and most grocery shops like Wellcome and Park and Save. i say keep the card, you could be back in hk very soon!

3. bring a pair of good shoes and be prepared to walk! everybody walks in HK, especially tourists! better still, wear a pair of old shoes, drop by "sneaker street" in mong kok and pickup a pair of sneakers and give your old pair to the nice lady picking up garbage by the street. be sneaker neutral!

4. if you are here long term / working in hk, be prepared to prepay everything! your rent is 2 months deposit + 1 month current, mobile phone charges are prepaid 24 months in advance (if you signup with a plan), your gym membership is prepaid, so is your broadband/cable tv services. i don't quite like the way this is done, but when in rome, do what the romans do!

5. be prepared for the space shock. most shops, apartments and hotels are pretty small. especially your local diners. you would most likely share small table with 3-4 strangers, and somemore breathing down your neck waiting for your seat during lunch. haahahah

6. food is rather expensive at first glance. a simple mcdonalds value meal could set you back HKD25, about the same price of a char siew rice and a drink at a small diner. you could still find bargains of HKD10 buck wan tan noodles, so be wise. but please remember, don't convert to your local currency, if not you wont eat anything all day!

so much for this post, i welcome any more insights. please leave it in the comments and i will put it in my next post.